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We hauled this morning (27th October) for bottom work and an assessment
of whatever else might be required. So far so good. She is sitting up on the hard looking very pretty.
The good news is that the bottom osmosis is not nearly as bad as
I had been led to believe. After sanding back the old bottom paint, there are about 25 or 30 shallow blisters discernable.
They have been ground out and will be filled tomorrow. The bad news is that the prop is heavily damaged by electrolysis
and will have to be replaced. Finding that replacement is proving difficult.
Other work includes the replacement of the cutlass bearing, checking
the condition of the stuffing box . This latter was good - one ring was removed for inspection and then replaced with
new packing. The wood in the chain locker that was rotting has been removed. It was non-structural and a
later add-on. The drive chain on the autopilot has been retensioned.
We pulled the masts this morning (29th October). There were
no hiccups apart from the mizzen not wanting to move out of the shoe in which it sat. After some rocking back and forth
it let go, however. Some of the rigging has gone to SecoSouth for replacement and the rest will go over the next couple
of days. It appears that the industry no longer uses the thread configuation it has, and further, that the wire swage
thread is left handed, whereas now the deck fitting is usually the left handed one. Accordingly the swage ends may have
to be made in England. I'll find out more later.
Popeye went back in last Friday, 6th November. The bottom
has been done, with the shallow osmosis blisters, nearly all on the starboard side, being ground, flushed and filled.
She was sanded heavily to remove all of the old antifouling, and then two barrier coats added followed by three of antifouling.
Only after the antifouling was on, and the bottom fair and shiny, did another 20 or 30 smaller blisters become apparent.
They will wait for the next haul, and so on, though the advent of a proper barrier coat now should prevent any further blistering,
or growth of the existing ones. A new, larger prop was installed, 20X15 replacing a 19X14. It is a 1.5 inch
bore with a 35mm reducer. A prop zinc has been added. Some minor dings in the topsides have been repaired.
The stern tube worked all right on the short trip back to the marina, but the raw water strainer leaked and will need further
work. So she is all pretty under the water again and back in her slip, looking a little naked and forlorn without her masts.
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